Dues Paying Members Of Wisconsin Unions Drop Dramatically Thanks To Scott Walker's Reforms

As the saying goes, when people are free to choose, they choose freedom and Wisconsin union workers are choosing to free themselves from their unions.

The latest tax documents available show combined income of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) dropped 45 percent in 2012 — the first full year of the law, according to The Capital Times.

In 2011, the four councils that make up the state organization reported a combined income of $14.9 million. In 2012 that dropped to $8.3 million. Dues revenue dropped 40 percent to $7.1 million.

Walker and supporters of the law said it was a way to help local governments reduce the costs of employee benefits, but the legislation also included measures aimed at financially weakening unions by ending automatic dues deductions.

It's funny but liberals have never explained why the state should have been in the business of collecting dues for unions that the unions then used to extract more money from the state. Funny that.

I'll leave the Walker pimping to CAC (I like Walker though his coyness about amnesty bothers me. However if Boehner gets his way, it might be moot by then) but that kind of reform is going to very popular with conservative primary voters next year.

The big problem Walker has is that while most of the top tier candidates have already begun their campaigns to one degree or another, Walker has a tough reelection battle this year. So while people like Chris Christie are campaigning across the country and in early primary states for Senate and House candidates (while collecting IOU's, meeting donors and building statewide networks), Walker is going to spend this year campaigning in Oshkosh and Green Bay.

On the upside, he'll have some impressive accomplishments to tout should he run.

Still, the way the modern presidential campaigns are structured, missing out on this year is going to be a big disadvantage for Walker.

posted by DrewM. at 11:04 AM

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